We Can Learn From The School Transportation Industry

At the end of last year, Ryan Gray (Editor-In-Chief of School Transportation News magazine) contacted me about writing a piece on school bus emergencies and what first responders will do at the scene of a crash. Read it HERE. Subsequent to that article, I was invited to collaborate and present a couple classes at the STN Expo with Cheri Clymer and Denny Coughlin.

The easy part was presenting information about what the fire service will do at the scene of a crash and how to plan a mock-casualty training exercise with all the entities that will be involved. A part of my stay at the expo has been chatting with some brilliant folks in the school transportation industry. We (the fire service) can learn from them as well in the leadership, planning, and human resource management arenas. Take some time to reach of to your local school transportation officials. Be sure to “LIKE” the STN Facebook page linked below. Whether it is leadership, school bus industry specifics on construction or fire suppression systems, or planning they have information that relates to us.

Below are a few thoughts from speakers that resonate with our cultural needs as well.

In the opening session, Mark Hinson (Chief of Human Resources, Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Thorton, Colorado) posed a question about meetings. He asked, what is the balance of your conversations during meetings? This not only applies to transportation organizations but fire departments as well. If more of the conversation is about “adult issues” and not the people we serve and how we serve them better, then there are big concerns. Can you relate?

Leon Langley presented “Ruminations on Successful Leadership: Learned from Self-Induced SNAFUS (Situation Normal All F—– Up). He stressed that leadership is not a job, its a lifestyle. It is important for leaders to learn the culture and master the language. He also talked about passing the buck, giving credit/accepting blame, and be firm/fair/ & consistent as a leader.